The Problem:
My wife and I treated the long narrow package cluttering our entryway like an unwelcome houseguest, stepping around it in silent annoyance, never sure how best to get rid of it. It was nearly as tall as me, precariously imbalanced, and somewhat fragile. Schlepping and shipping this package was sure to screw up half a day for one of us.
Taking a large package to the Post Office often involves a long line, redundant paperwork, and a lot of terse instruction that feels like scolding. The errand itself can take hour when they are busy, and such a detour in the middle of a business day can have a ripple effect that screws up the rest of the day. And if it’s raining or freezing, or your package is especially heavy, you’ll be even more miserable.
The UPS Store and FedEx/Kinkos are no better. The premiums often feel absurd, and both depend on antiquated forms and data entry. In fact, FedEx still hasn’t integrated ground services properly after more than a decade, leading to customer frustrations I won’t bore you with here.
In short, traditional shipping services are outdated, cost consumers more time and effort than they rightfully should, and are begging for disruption.
Enter Shyp and Shipster.
To finally get rid of our unwanted package, my wife quickly downloaded the Shyp app to her phone and took a picture. Shyp had someone at our door to pick it up in 15 minutes.
For $5 (holy-freaking-shyp).
Then I tried the same thing with Shipster. I downloaded the app in seconds, took a picture, agreed to their cost estimate, and someone picked up the package about 20 minutes later. Amazing.
Both services are fantastic.
There are no labels needed or forms to fill out with either service. They’ve got your info in the app every time, and you simply enter the destination address in the app. Better still, addresses are saved for the future so you never need to do that again.
You don’t even need a box! Just send a photo of your misshapen thneed and they’ll take care of it with efficient custom packing included in the price. And if you’re worried about sending family heirloom in someone else’s packaging, just remember that it’s in their best interest to pack your items very well.
The (Sort of Insignificant) Difference:
While Shyp promotes their minimal $5 fee per item, Shipster promises “competitive” pricing without surprise fees. CEO Christian assured me that Shipster fees are always close to what you would pay anywhere on your own.
It’s worth noting that Shipster does specify a flat rate of $5 for prepaid packages like retail returns, suggesting that their overall rates are indeed quite comparable to Shyp.
The only reason this matters is perception: When using Shyp, I feel like I received a huge benefit for just $5; when using Shipster, I feel like I’m paying about the right amount to ship a package, though the pickup was helpful. I know better, and it’s not fair, but it’s still a real user experience issue. And that little difference in subtle perception could be big in such a competitive, thin-margin business.
PS: While Shipster explicitly states they do not ship people, Shyp only specifies they won’t ship corpses, so there may be flexibility for the live ones. Still, I wouldn’t request pickup for your child or lover until you check with customer service.
Disclosures: I have no direct interest in any of the companies mentioned here.
Please comment here or connect with me on Twitter: @robmillis
